Conference Sessions

From Idea to Reality – Success in a Crowded Entrepreneurship Market

You have an idea, you write it down, you envision the end goal, but what’s next? Following through and taking the steps to creating and managing your own start-up is no easy task with many challenges and hurdles to overcome. Join our panelists and delve into the mind of an entrepreneur as they discuss and answer questions on how they activated their vision, have kept competitive, and remained resilient as a successful entrepreneur.

Now more than ever, companies are employing a new generation of highly skilled, technically savvy, uniquely driven young work force. How are companies adapting their business model to hire and keep this new generation of highly motivated individuals? Join our panelists as they discuss their experiences in managing, hiring, and motivating this next generation of resilient young workers.

At this lunch and learn you will hear from our panelists who are experts in their field and will discuss not only their own stories of overcoming adversity but also the community around them and will provide you with insight on how you can address adversity in your own life.

Our careers have a significant impact on our lives…. in most cases a career can impact every part of our lives. If you knew you were signing up for a task that would consume 64,000 hours of your life….would it make sense to have more than a lose plan to make it work ? We are going to walk through the difference between an opportunistic approach to your career and a strategic approach to your career. Along the way we’ll touch on knowing yourself and finding a match, how to win at every interview, what employers want from every candidate, how men and women differ in their approach to career success, and how best to advance your career once you land in the right place…or the current right place !! Whether you are already employed or about to embark on your search….investing in your career is worthwhile. Join our presenter, Sean Smith (CEO, Pethealth Inc), as he covers and discusses his experience in watching careers flourish and fail.

New US economic policy continue to influence the global economic market. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has tied our continent’s economy together but with an expected overhaul of the agreement on the horizon, experts predict major financial implications on various industries not only in Canada but also internationally. Learn how decisions by the US Executive Administration has caused global economic shifts and what it means for Canadians.

Whether you are a recent grad looking for work or a seasoned employee looking for a shift in career, changes come with many challenges and difficult decisions. What are some of the most important aspects and questions to consider when approaching a new or shift in career? How does one approach work-life balance? Join our panel of experts that will help answer these questions and share their experiences dealing with career changes and challenges.

Think about where you are today. Where you ‘currently are’ is a culmination of decisions and events that have led you to the person that you are today. How do seemingly small life decisions or events impact the trajectory of your personal and professional life? How do you face difficult situations and turn them into teaching moments. Hear from our successful panelists who will share their stories and Ah-Ha! moments that have forever changed their lives and made them into the people they are today.